Now, where to get Ducati branded tyres, fuel, oil, spark-plugs etc. Ducati don't make everything on the motorcycle themselves, they source parts from many different manufacturers and a lot of the time other parts are superior, especially in terms of cost-effectiveness for a consumer to buy, as opposed to a manufacturer. Ducati belts are made by Gates and are ok but there's nothing magical about them. They used to be reasonable value for money for us to buy but IMHO, in recent times, Ducati (since being taken over by VAG) have raised prices to silly levels, creating a perfect opportunity for being undercut. This is exactly what has happened and ExactFit belts are now the belts of choice for many because they have established a reputation for being every bit as reliable as the Ducati-branded Gates belts but at a much more reasonable price. Few of us like to feel we are being ripped off. ExactFit belts are imported from America, which used to make the price-difference a little marginal after shipping etc. However, now there is an official importer, prices for them have tumbled and for me and many other members of this forum, it's a no-brainer. The Ducati-branded Gates belts are actually made in the UK then exported to Italy and back to the UK It's impossible to source them from Gates or a Gates supplier at a more realistic price, many have tried. So we are stuck with the hugely inflated prices that VAG choose to attach to the Ducati-branded belts. If you buy into that, that's fine but for many of us, there is an extremely viable alternative.
